Rockadile

I ride a long relativly flat trail consisiting of large gravel, crushed gravel, hardpack and sand, 47 miles (3 miles paved) 3x a week. I did a rollout so I know the distance is accurate. The ride takes me about 3:45.

Is this enough to get me in shape? I have only been doing it for ~2 months but I started out with 30 miles 3x a week, untill just 2 weeks ago when I started adding in the 47.

Basically is this alot of miles or do you spit in my general direction?

mtnbiker66

That would be crazy miles in my area but yeah thats plenty enough to get you in shape.Sounds like more of a fitness ride anyway. No roots, rocks or drops?

hulkster

think you know the answer to that.

Rockadile

Its an old railroad trail. Its not a mountian trail, just a long flat one. Its plenty bumpy but not rooty or rocky, aside from the large gravel which can suck sometimes.

Flak

Are you losing weight? Do you feel fitter?

If yes, theres your answer. If not, theres your answer.

Its more miles i get in thats for sure.

Rockadile

I lost some weight (5-10lbs), and my legs are bigger but I dont feel "In Shape".

willtsmith_nwi

Yes, from a strictly cardiovascular standpoint it probably is in conjuction with the proper diet. But, don't you get BORED on 47 miles of flat dirt? Is there no singletrack around you to add a little spice to your cycling life?

Flak

What do you want from us?

Rockadile

I go with a friend.

I like getting into the trail and pushing without exceeding my limits.

Flak-Just curious from other riders if this ride was substantial or not. People that don't ride bikes think Im crazy, but I want to see what bikers think.

vw addict

he wants us to tell him he is in shape

Flak

I'd venture a guess that its more miles than the average recreational rider. Its the whole 'in shape' thing that throws me. You're losing weight, your legs are stronger, but you dont "feel in shape"...i would argue that you are "getting in shape"...but its such a subjective subject that the question is just strange to me.

Maybe it's the beer. Probably the beer. Must be.

never

Well if that is what you want...I don't think it's crazy. It's a decent amount of mileage but it sounds boring. You may want to try to hit a wider variety of trails.

nostromo

Riding itself will put demands on your body, but may not make you 'feel' in shape. Throw in weight training 2-3x a week (nothing serious) and take a look at your diet and you'll see a much more rapid transformation. I do all 3 and have seen amazing results in only a few weeks of MTB.

ScareyH22A

I started out kinda like you. I rode pretty much road because I didn't know about trails around my area. After finding out about those trails, I was kicking myself as to why I didn't seek them out sooner. I love riding now. Before I was dying of boredom.

BTW, miles mean pretty much nothing. You should find out what your target heart rate and figure out a cadence goal. A watch with a heartrate monitor is probably your best bet.

Flak

I don't think there is any substitute for miles under your wheels.

maximusvt

47 miles is a real good distance, especially on trails. I wish we had trails that went that far up here but in order to do 47 miles I'd have to do the same trail about 10 times...
I don't think you're gonna start feeling more "in shape" by adding any miles on top of that. If anything, concentrate on the parts of your body that aren't getting worked by just riding the bike. Put in a good hour or so of weight training 2 or 3 times a week, and see what that does for you.
And don't forget to stretch!

Rockadile

Wow, some of you guys think my ride is boring. Well I go with a friend, and Im not a teenager anymore, Im 30. Ive DONE all the 'exciting' rides. Moreover those fast trails were boring compared to my street thrashing I used to do. It all depends on what you are used to. But believe me that long trail has PLENTY to keep me occupied. I mean its 23 1/2 miles one way, I still havent memorized the whole thing, Im mostly in "the ZONE".

maximusvt and nostromo- thats some good advice actually. And the reason I made this thread. Thanks.

Here is some pics of me from 95' doing bunnyhops. Thats an original 1989 Dyno Detour if anyone is interested.

https://www.useboost.com/f042144fa4fc...tbike2jpg.html

https://www.useboost.com/8af4992693a2...ttbikejpg.html

Now that was exciting!

santiago

Not sure about you guys but in my area trail miles are easily worth 2 to 3 times more than flat rails-to-trails miles. When riding on flat trails you can spin and get away with a solid easy cadence. Not a bad thing but I find the workout I get from trails with more mashing on the climbs and standing through the drops and rock gardens is more intense.

To the OP, try to find some trails in your area and put in a 15 mile ride and compare it to your 47 flat ride. You'll have a good workout and have a ride that is less boring.

a2psyklnut

As far as off the bike training, I've found that the workouts this guy offers are really good. (too bad I don't use them as much as I should).

I use to be into weights big time, but as I've gotten older and wiser I've learned the hard way the damage weight training can do. Check this guy out www.mattfurey.com

nostromo

I've hit a few MTB trails and with my heavy bike I've walked away feeling like I did a full body workout. With my road bike I find it primarily taxes my legs and lungs.

For those that shy away from weights, keep in mind that the more lean muscle you carry the more fat you burn at rest (provided the diet is proper). Cycling only enhances that whole affect. And with weights you can change your bodyshape, a bike won't help you do that.

never

Riding the same trail, three times a week does sound boring, especially when it doesn't sound very challenging. The best way to make riding not feel like a workout is to mix it up, ride a diversity of trails to keep it fresh and fun. I have my favorite trails that I ride more than others but even they generally don't get repeated a lot over the summer (except for some of the in-the-city trails out my back door).

I commute to work 5 days a week and it's a 60km round trip. It's not overly exciting but I have numerous different routes to take and some of them include good portions of singletrack. If I rode the exact same route every day, I would get so bored, no matter what the physical benefit I got.

If you mixed up your ride, like adding in some routes that may be shorter but have a greater elevation gain, or adding in more technically challenging trails, while still occasionally doing your other ride, you'll see even more health benefits. The more you vary the types of stress you put on your body, the stronger your body will get.

C Law

^ totally agree.

To the OP

'in shape' is a relative term. In shape to do what I would ask.

You are certainly in shape to ride a moderate pace over longish distances. But if you keep just doing that ride, or similiar rides, your body will improve slowly and you will be good at that one thing, riding a moderate pace over longish distances.

Even riding the same path with a higher intensity for an hour would be better than your current routine.

If you want to stick to the trail/path you currently use.

Mix up three different rides.

One at a high intensity for an hour , the second one aim for three hours, and the third aim for five hours.

And definately, find some hills to climb so you can change the intensity up and aslo have ablast coming down

dutret

over 11 hours of exercise a week is way more then is needed to keep get anyone "in shape". If you enjoy your rides keep doing them.

If your goal is to be a fast cyclist 4 hour low intensity rides are probably not the best way to do it.

dutret

hmmm I probably should have refreshed the page.

Rockadile

ok I think I will mix it up more. I don't really want to be good at one thing, I want to be in shape!